40 teams join fall league

 The 2011 NMIFA Youth Football Fall League will kick off this Saturday with 40 squads participating in the various age group games.

In the competitive boys U15 event, seven teams will battle for the title, including defending champion MP United-1. Joining the field are MP United 2, Matansa FC, Shirley’s FC 1 and 2, and Paire FC.

Three matches will be played every Saturday at the Oleai Sports Complex with MP United 2 and Shirley’s FC seeing action in the opener at 1pm. The defending champion MP United 1 will take on Matansa in the second match at 2:40pm, while Tan Holdings will duel Paire in the last game at 4:20pm.

Shirley’s 2 is composed of the club’s U18 female players.

“Since there are no U18 girls division, the Youth Football Committee has allowed Shirley’s U18 girls to enter and compete in the U15 boys division,” Northern Mariana Islands Football Association general secretary Ed Salas said.

Salas added that players in the U15 division can also play in the U18.

“Last season, players cannot simultaneously play in two divisions. However, only a maximum of five players can play up at any given time and may do so weekly or sparingly. It is up to the coach of each team to decide which players can play up and how many (not more than five) provided that the players are skilled enough and have the mental and physical abilities. While NMIFA welcomes advancement and development of players, we are also concerned of their safety and coaches must insure that the players are talented enough and physically ready to play in a higher division,” Salas said.

In the girls U15, only five teams will compete. Matansa FC will defend its title against Paire, MP United, Tan Holdings, and Shirley’s. Two games will be played every Saturday and since NMIFA has yet to secure permission to use the Hopwood Junior High School Field, all games are scheduled at the San Antonio Elementary School.

Tan Holdings will play in the opener at 3pm against Matansa, while MP United will face Paire in the second match at 4:30pm.

The boys U18 division will be a three-team fight among Paire, MP United, and Matansa. MP United will start its title defense against Paire this Saturday at the Oleai pitch at 9am.

Only the standings in the U15 and U18 leagues will be recorded, as games in the U6, U8, U10, and U12 are for developmental football purposes only.

The co-ed U16 has five teams in Tan Holdings, Shirley’s Paire, Matansa, and MP United and U8 has eight in Matansa, Paire 1 and 2, Tan Holdings 1 and 2, MP United 1 and 2, and Shirley’s.

Eight teams are also entered in the U10 with Paire, Tan Holdings, and MP United having two squad each and Shirley’s and Matansa fielding only one apiece. Matansa has three teams in the U12, Paire has two, and Tan Holdings, MP United, and Shirley’s has one each. Games in the U6 to U12 age groups will be played in various school fields.

A Matansa FC striker, right, kicks the ball during their game against Paire FC in the 2011 NMIFA spring league at the Oleai Sports Complex Field. The fall league will open this Saturday.